Article dispenser



Sept. 5, 1933. 1 H, MORlN l,925,563

ARTICLE DISPENSER Filed Sept. '7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l l l '1 27 i l ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1933. L.. H. MORIN ARTICLE DISPENSER Filed Sept. '7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1933. L. H, MORIN 1,925,563

ARTICLE DISPENSER Filed sept. 7, 1929 4 sheets-sheet 5 r lNVENT-OR La Jy MMM;

BY A

MAQ; 0W

ATTORNEY sept. 5, 1933. L, H, MORIN 1,925,553

ARTICLE DISPENSER INVENTOR ATTORNEY nism of a coin controlled vending machine.

Patented Sept. 5, 14933 naar srarss `Partnr orifice vserions DISPENSER Louis H. Morin, New York, N. Y., assigner-to llloehler Vending Machines, Inc., `a corporation of New York Application September 7, 192'?) Serial No. 391,006

y5 claims. (o1. ,S12-97) This invention relates to the dispensing mecha- The No. 1,722,23G, machine.

controlled mechanism operating mechanism such as is required for opdated July 23, 1929, for Vending ln carrying out the invention the coin constitutes a step-by-step erating the dispensing mechanism of this invention. So iar this invention is concerned, any other suitable coin controlled mechanism, or other suitable ste'p-by-step operating mechanism 'without coin control, could be utilized for that purpose.

Accordingly, features of construction relating more particularly to coin controlled operation have been omitted from the drawings,

although a few of these appear incidentally, and complete informat;

n may be obtained 'from my abovenoted Patent No. l,7:l/-l,739.v Y Y One of the'oojects or the invention is to provide a vending machine having a capacity for.-

containing a large number of relatively. small pac s or articles which are to be dispensed or vended one at a time at' each operation of. the machine. Another object is, to provide for the conyniacin...

.dent d speedy fillingor loading of the e with articles or packages when its magauires replenishing. Another object is to or the automatic vending of frail articles in goed condition and undamaged.

in the vending operation, that is, without having their di'sarranged or torn, vor the Ycontents of the wrappers crushed or broken, such as chocolate bars of candy in paper or tinfoil wrappers, as well ao many other articles and packages which require careful handling in order to prevent damage thereto. to provide arci Another object is machine in which the above noted coin controlled mechanism'may be utilized for Yoperating the dispensing mechanism of the n achille.

manufacture,

'Ct-hor o'ojects are to providea vendstruction which is veasy to effective in operation,

strong, durable, compact, dependable, conven-` ient and reliable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

in carrying mechanism out the invention the dispensing so constructed and operated that single articleswill be delivered one by one alternately from a pair of endless traveling stock- -ca'rrying vcarrier chains, which form delivery chains, at each operation ofthe machine. These endless chains have front and rear vertical runs @u both of which are to be loaded with articles or packages to be dispensed by delivery at the botvtoms'of the runs in the traveling step-by-step loading the carrier chains, the dispensing mechanism includes a manually releasable clutch device' by which the carrier chains may be disconnected from their drive shaft, which is operated by and has a positive connectionto the coin controlled operating mechanism, so that when these carrier chains are thus disconnected they will then be Vfree to be movedwhile they are being loaded with articles or packages to be delivered by these *chainsv in the dispensing operation. The invention further includes various features of construction and combinations of parts, as will ap-` pear from the following description. l J The embodiment of the invention which is illusy l trated 'in the accompanying drawings will now be particularly described andV thereafter the invention will be pointed out in claims, reference now being had to these'drawings, in which Fig. l is afront elevation of the interior parts of a vending machine embodying the invention', vwith the machine casing in vertical sectionjust at therear of the iront door, the normally exposed front frame plate of the coin controlled mechanisrn also appearing in elevation, together with the operating handle of the machine. y

2 isin part a side elevation'l and in part a vertical section substantially on the Zig-Zag line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. Sis a greatly enlarged partial Vertical section substantially on the zig-zag line 3 3 of Figli v Fig. 4 is a side elevation with parts broken out 105 showing the chain-carrying frame as swung outward and downward to the position for loadin the rear runs of the carrier chains.

Fig. 5 is a considerably enlarged transverse horizontal section ofthe swinging chain-'carrying frame alone, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged iront View in vertical section taken for the most part substantially on the slightly zig-zag line 6-6 of Fig. 2, with porn tions at the tcp and adjacent thereto omitted, as indicated by the broken .transverse lines.

1Fig. 7 is a similar but further enlarged partial vertical section taken substantially on the short zigzag line 7-7 of Fig. 2, showing in section the releasable clutch device and gearing connection which appear at the right side in Figs. l and 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of one oi the carrier chain links per se, with this link in the position it would have in the front run of a carrier chain when viewed from the right side or" the machine, as in Figs. 2 and 10.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the same link.

`ilig. 10 is a considerably enlarged partial vertical section taken on the zig-zag line lil- 10 oi Fig. 6, Figs. 7 to 19 inclusive being drawn to substantially the same scale, which is urther enlarged over Fig. 6, and which is about the full size of the machine.

1n the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and now to be par-- ticularly described, the operating mechanisms of the machine, comprising the dispensing mechanism and the coin controlled mechanism, are contained within a rectangular casing box which may be formed of suitable sheet metal such as steel by means of ordinary stamping and welding operations, this casing box being of greater Vwidth than depth from front to rear, and being oi greater height than width. This casing box has a back 1, sides`2 and 3, a bottoni Ll, and a. lower marginal front wall portion 5, all of which may be formed from one piece of sheet metal ii so desired. A pair `oi inner mechanism-supporting casing trame walls 6 and 7 are spaced slightly in# ward respectively from the outer side walls 2 and 3 and may be rigidly but removably secured in place to the rear casing wall 1 and also if desired to its side walls 2 and 3, by any suitable convenient means (noty shown). A forwardly opening transversely elongated bent or curved delivery chute is provided between the lower end portions oI these frame walls 6 and 7, this chute ha ing a iioor wall 8 and an upper wall 9. Since the lower portion of this sheet metal framework supports the coin controlled mechanism, it is stiffened and strengthened by means of three transverse rods l0, and also by means of a bent brace rod 11- disposed in a Vertical plane.

A removable iront door 12 is provided which extended rearwardly over the top oi the casing to form a cover 13. This iront door 12 may be flanged into the front or" vthe casing body, as is shown at the top in Fig. 1 for its cover portion 13, and this cover portion 13 is anged downwardly at the rear at the outsideoi the back wall 1 so as thereby to have retaining engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower portion of this removable iront door 12 is cut out around so as to expose the central portion of a front frame plate lll of the coin controlled mechanism, as indicated in Figs. 2 and l and as shown more clearly in'Fig. 10, this door terminating at its lower end at the delivery chute and being shown as hanged inward beneath the forward edge portion oi its upper wall 9. This door l2 when opened gives free access to the inside of the casing box from the front and is to be secured in its closed condition by means of a suitable lock (not shown) An inner main frame plate 15 of the coin controlled `by means of screws 16 (Fig. l).

mechanism, which is provided with various projections and bosses, is spaced rearwardly from the outer frame 'plate lll which is secured thereto By means of a number ci lugs and scr ws, some oi which appear in the drawings, the main :trame plate 15 is removably secured in place in the casing, to the left hand frame wall 7 and to the lower margin of the upper wall 9 of the delivery chute.

A one-piece carrier frame of inverted U shape comprises side plates 17 and 18 which areintegrally connected together at their upper ends by a top plate 19. At suitable distances from their upper and lower ends the side plates 17 and 18 of the carrier frame are tied together and braced by means of a pair or" similar hat spacing bars 29 the reduced ends of which may be riveted through the side plates 17 and 18, as shown in Fig. 4 for the upper one of these bars 20. The inside of this carrier frame is divided into four rectangularly arranged similar vertical `guide channels by means of intermediate partitions, as shown in the drawings, more particularly in Fig. 5. These carrier frame partitions are formed by means of four sheet metal rightangularly bent L-shaped pieces firmly secured in place, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5. These partitions, which form guide walls, comprise a double-wall middle partition 21 parallel with and midway between the side plates 17 and 18 with which this partition 21 is substantially coterminal at its lower end, while at its upper end its front and rear margins are extended up to the top connecting plate 19 and secured thereto (Fig. l). The other partition is a four-part vertical transverse partition 22 having spaced front and rear walls at the iront and rear of the flat tie bars 20 by which the walls of this partition 22 are spaced, and the upper and lower ends of this partition 22 are substantially even or ush with the upper and lower edges oi these tiebars 20 (Figs. l, 6 and lil). A vertically arranged guide plate 23 (Figs. 2 and 10) is spaced inward from and carried by the front door 12 andhas its flanged lateral edges secured thereto. Adjacent to but suitably spaced from their lower ends, the side plates 17 and 18 oi the carrier frame are iixedly provided with bushings 241 (Figs. l, 6 and 7) which form bearings.

Suitably spaced above the coin controlled mechanism and above the upper end of the above described delivery chute, the inner frame walls 6 and 7 of the casing structure are provided with flanged bearings 25 which are rmly held in place by means of nuts 26 screwed over their tubular stems (Figs. l, 6 and 7). A hexagonal lower sprocket shaft 27 has reduced cylindrical ends journaled in these bearings 25. etween the right hand frame wall 6 and the right hand which is provided with an inwardly extending.

hub sleeve 29 at the inner end of which there is an abutment washer 30 held in place by a pin 31 through the sprocket shaft 27. The right hand side plate 17 of the carrier frame is pivoted on the gear hub sleeve 29 by means of its bushing 24, and the left hand side plate 18 of this carrier frame, by means of its bushing 24, is similarly pivoted on a hanged sleeve 32 which is similar to the hub sleeve 29 and is similarly held in place on the sprocket shaft 27 by means of an inner washer 33 which is held in place by a pin (not shown) similar to the pin 31.

Thus it will be seen that the above described iii) ets 49 and 50 without thereby affecting the operation, since this upper sprocket shaft is free for angularly adjusting itseli as a whole, although in any case it positively rotatably couples together the two upper sprocket wheels 49 and 50, as is desired in carrying out the invention. This above described construction of the sprocket shafts 27 `and 40 and of the fourtooth sprockets 47, 48, 49 and 50 facilitates manufacture vand also results in the correct angular relation or all o these sprockets relatively to one another.

Right and left hand carrier chains A and B, which also constitute delivery chains, may each be a duplicate of the other per se, as shown in the drawings. The right hand carrier chain A passes beneath the lower right handv sprocket 47 and over the upper right hand sprocket 49 and has normally vertical front and rear parallel runs extending between these sprockets.v The left hand carrier chain B similarly passes under the left hand lower sprocket 48 and over the left hand upper sprocket and similarly has normally vertical front and rear parallel runs extending between these left hand sprockets. 1t will. be noted that these carrier chains A and are not of a rull width to iill the lateral space, between the right and left hand frame plates 17 and 18 respectively and the intermediate partition wall 2l (Figs. l and 6), since it is unnecessary in carrying out the invention tol have these carrier chains of such a greater width. ItV

is to be noted that the vertical transverse partition wall. 22 extends in line with the normally vertically aligned sprocket shafts 27 and 4i) from above the lower sprockets 47 and 48 to just Abelow the upper sprockets 49 and 50, and the spaced plates of this partition wall form baifles or guides for the backs of the runs of the carrier chains A and B which prevent the possibility or any interference between the oppositely traveling runs of each oi these carrier chains and assure a similar separation and guiding of packages carried respectively bythe front and rear runs or the oarrierchains, so that thereby there is no possibility oi the ends oi oppositely moving packages strikiniT against one another.

For carrying out the invention in appractical manner, each of the carrier chains A and Bis made up oi a series or pivotally connected links each oi` which comprises a single piece of suit abiy bent' and perforated sheet metal. Each such link comprises an outwardly projecting dat lug 5l which is of surcient dimensions to provide a sheli` upon which an article to be vended may be fully supported. A flat cross bar 52 is turned over at a slightly acute angle from the inner margin o the shelf-providing lug 5l. A pair of end arms 53 are turned rearwardly at right angles from the respective ends of the cross bar 52. rlhe ends of each side arm 53 are provided with perror-ations 54 and 55 Vthe axes or which are in a plane at right angles to the plane ci the shelf lug 5l. The `ends of the arms 53 having therein the perforations 54 project beyond the adjacent free edge of the cross bar 52 and each such projecting portion is bent so as to be oiset inwardly a distance equal to the thickness or" the metal, so that thereby these projecting ends may overlap at the inner sides or the opposite ends of the side arms 53 on the next adjacent link, in the assembled condition oi the chain with the perforations 54 then in alignment with the perforations 55 of the next link in the series. Each link is pivoted to the next adjacent link by means of a pivot pin 56 which passes through the periorations 54 of one link and the periorations 55 of the other link. Each pivot pin 56 is provided at one end, shown as the left end, (Figs. l and 6) with an outer head, its other end being shown as pointed for convenience in effecting assembly, this latter end portion, after assembly, being suitably upset' as indicated in Figs. l and 6 for thereby holding the pivot pin in place.

It will be noted that in the vertical front and rear runs of one of these carrier chains that the free edge of the cross bar 52 of one of the links abuts against the inner margin or the shelfforrning lug 5l or" the next adjacent link, and also that the adjacent angular corner of each link formed between its lug 5l and cross bar 52 abuts against the adjacent outer edges or the projecting portions of the end arms 53 having therein the periorations 54, both or these abutting engagements taking place at points intermediate to the pivot pins 55. of the chain, it may freely bend in one direction 'for passing around the sprockets, but it will be rigid against bending in the opposite direction beyond a plane passing through the axes of the pivot pins 55. r1his prevents the formation of double bends or S the chain and is therefore of substantial aid in maintaining the package-carrying shelf-providing lugs 5l in a substantially level or horizontal position these iront and rear vertical runs of the carrier chain.

When one oi: these carrier chains A or B passes around one or" the four-tooth sprocket wheels the rearwardly projecting end arms 53 at the sides or the chain pass at the lateral outer sides or the sprocket teeth at the ends of the sprocket, while the pivot pins 55 engage in the corner notches between these sprocket teeth, with the flat outer end oi each sprocket tooth just inwardly from the cross bar 52 of a link and with this flat end of the sprocket tooth parallel with a plane passing through the axes of the two adjacent pivot pins 56. Thus it will be seen-that the four sprocket teeth engage successively and .idividually with 'the successive links in the carrier chain, each sprocket tooth engaging with a single link as the chain passes around the square sprocket wheel,` as is shown in the drawings, more 1 particularly in Fig. l0. Therefore, each cornplete rotation of one of the 4ourtooth sprocket wheels will reverse the position of four o1 lthe carrier shelves or lugs 5l and transfer them from one of the vertical runs ci the carrier chainfto `bends in the vertical runs ofV By reason or" this construction the other as this carrier chain passes around the four-tooth sprocket wheel.

By reason or the above described angular displacement of the two lower sprocket wheels 47 and 48 relatively to each other, together with the similar relative angular displacement of the two upper sprocket wheels 49 and 50, thearticlecarrying shelves or lugs 5l in the front and rear vertical runs respectively of the respective carrier chains A and B will occupy intermediate levels midway between each other, and these shelves or lugs 51 will have similar intermediate angular positions relatively to each other for the respective carrier chains as they pass around their sprockets, as will be clear from Figs. l, 2, 4, 6 and 10 or the drawings, perhaps more particularly the latter. rThus for each complete, rotation of the sprocket wheels, eight articles or packages may be delivered from the bottoms of the runs of the two carrier chains A and B, four deliveries being inade from each carrier chain, and for each' one-eighth turn of the sprockets one article or package will'be delivered, these deliveries being made alternately by the respectivecarrier chains A and B.

In the embodiment of 'the invention shown in the drawings, each of the carrier chains A and B is up of an veven number of links, which in the particular niachine illustrated is sixty-two links in eachvof these chains. By reason of this hand sprockets i7 and 49, and correspondingl the lower and .upper left hand sprockets and 50, at all times will have the saine angular position relatively to each other, as iicated more particularly in Fig. 2 for the leftA nan-d carrier chain B and its sprockets i8 and 5d. Also by reason of this evennuniber of links the chain, taken together with the angularly displaced relation of the right and, left hand pairs of sprockets, the projecting outer edges of the carrier shelves 51 in the vertical runs ol the respective chains A and B, throughout the length of these runs, will be in stagge -ed relation or :eiiset alternately forward and rearward for the respective chains as the sprocket wl .eels occupy'diiferent rotative positions, as is clearly shown in the drawings for one ofythese positions (Figs. 2 '4 and 10). How-` ever, this is rnerely harrnlessly incidental to the operation an is referred to only as explanatory` of what is shown in the drawings. l

Packages' 5.7, of which only a few are shown for clarity of the drawings, may rest upon and be supported by the' carrier lug shelves 51 ofv both the front and rear runs of both of the carriery chains A E. 'By reasonl ofthe free open space provided in the lowerrpart of the casing box, at the rear of the coin'controlled mechait is desirable in the machine shown to deliver the packages 57 from the lower ends of the rear runs of the carrier chains, rather than freni thefront runs thereof, by reason of the fact that the space beneath the lower ends of the front runs of these chains is somewhat re lstricted by the coin controlled mechanism. Therefore, for effecting the delivery rof a single package 57 at each operation of the machine, the lower sprockets e7 and 48 are to be rotated a step of a oneeeighth turn in a lclockwise direction viewed in Figs. 2 am1 lll,'whereupon a ingle package .57 will be delivered from one or the other of the carrier chains 'A or E, and` alternat-ely by these chains at the successive operations, comprising a one-eighth turn of all of' the sprocket wheels wie corresponding concomitant traveling movement of the two carrier chains A and B.

It is desirable of course that a free and un-Y obstructed delivery of each package 57 should be effectedstraight downward from each of the package-carrying shelvesv 5l intothe open upper end of the ahove noted delivery chute, `and it is similarly desirable that each package `57.should remain in substantially undisturbed position upon its supporting shelf 5l until the moment of its delivery arrived. For accomplishing this, an inwardly curved` downwardly inclined guide plate 58 is provided to extend from the inner side of the casing hack l at the rear of the lower portions of the descending runs of the carri r chains A and B and terminating in a lower fe y heneath these rear runs where they around beneaththe lower sprockets 4'? and 4.8. This guide plate 5S is particularly advantageous in View ofv the fact that at each one-.eighth delivery turn of the lower sprockets 47 and 48,'one o f the package-carrying shelves 51 will stop at a position of rest in which it is downwardly inclined towards the rear atan angle of about 45, so that thereby in this position without the guide plate 58, this package would slide rearward against the rear wall `1 and its delivery at this inclined position would be thus obstructed and uncertain, besides the bility of damage to; the package, as kwill be from for the right hand carrier chain A. It will be clear that at thernextmove- .ni-ent `of this inclined package-carrying shelf 5i, shown in Fig. l0, that this shelf will then have a vertical position which is shown in thisv ilgure, inostly hy dotted lines, for the left hand carrier chain B, so that the package ,57 may kthen vdrop `straight downward into the open package-carrying lugs or shelves 51 on the rearY descending or delivery runs thereof project from "the, upper ends of the chain links.

i Itl will be clear, particularly from Fig. 1l), that this arrangement ci the carrier chains will result in the dropping of a package 57 for delivery sonre-v what moretowards the rear wall l of the casing, the advantageof which has been above noted. In any case it will beobvious that the two chains A and B should be arranged in the same man ner, each as the other, on their sprockets, in order thereby to operate alternately in delivering the packages 57." u l Y 1t vwill be noted thatthe .packages 57 carried by both the front and-the rear runs of therespective carrier. chains A' and B 'will be guided at their outer ends laterally bythe frame 1 plates l'iand 18, and at their adjacent inner ends will be guided by the interme ico diate partition wall 21, whilev Yat the front theV upwardly` moving packages 57 will be guided by4 the guide plate 23 carried by the front door 12,

and at the rear of the casing' the descending packages 57 will besirnilarlyVV guided along the inner. side of the rear casing wall l, until finally thesel descending packages 57 successively reach and ride upon the downwardly inclined guide lplate 5.8,fbeyond the free lower edge of which they will be delivered one at a time, as above noted;v It will now be clear that each of the carrier lugs or shelves 51 may carry thereonlra package v5.7, excepting only the lowerrnost lugs 5l below the lower sprocketfwheels and 48. Accordingly,ilthe vending machine shown in the drawings, when bothof these carrier chains A and B are' fully loaded, will have a total capacity,v of 122 packages 57.'

The driving connectionsv` for` operating the lower sprocket shaft 27, in carrying out 'the invention, include a trainof movement-reducing gears, which terminate in the above noted operl, ,N

ating gear 28, the hexagonal aperture of which fits closely over the right hand venol portion of this sprocket shaft 27. This spur operating gear 28 is engaged by a spur idler gear 59 which is located diagonally downward and forwardk from the operating gear 28 (Figs. 2 and 4). This idler gear 59 is rotatable on a stub shaft 60- whichv is rigidly secured to and projects inward from the adjacent right hand inner casing wall or frame wall 6, this idler gear 59 being held in place upon its. shaft 60r by means of an inner washer 61 and iis an abutment pin 62 through the end of the shaft 60 (Figs. 6 and 7). Forwardly from its lower side the idler` gear 59 is engaged by a spur driving gear 63 which is a movement-reducing gear, of one-half the diameter and having accordingly one-half the number of gear teeth of the large operating gear 28. In carrying out the invention, one-quarter turn steps of rotative movement are imparted to this driving gear 63, which therefore communicates one-eighth turn steps of rotative movement to the operating gear 28, such as are required.

This driving gear 6 is loosely rotatably mounted upon a reduced cylindrical end portion of a horizontal transversely extending drive shaft 64, which throughout the major portion of its length is of hexagonal shape, similar in that respect to the two sprocket shafts 27 and 40. At its right hand end, outwardly from the driving gear 63, the extreme end portion of this drive shaft 64 is journaled in a bearing 65 having a flanged head at its outer end and a screw threaded stem passing inwardly through the right hand frame wall y6, a securing nut 66 being screwed over the inner end of this bearing stem, which latter forms an abutment for the driving gear 63. This driving gear 63 at its inner side has a clutch member 67 formed in the same piece therewith, The end of this clutch member 67 at its periphery has four projecting clutch teeth which have abrupt faces circumferentially Von both sides thereof, being formed by means of square-faced notches (Figs. 1 and 7). This driving gear 63, together with the clutch member 67 formed integrally therewith, is prevented from sliding inward on the cylindrical reduced portion of the drive shaft 64, by means of a washer 68 and an abutment pin 69 passing through the drive shaft 64 just inward from the washer 68.

In carrying out the invention, a normally engaged -releasable clutch member 70 is provided for engagement with the clutch member 67 of the driving gear 63, for normally positively locking this gear to the drive shaft 64 against relative rotative movement in either direction. This clutch member 70 is of a bell shape or cup shape of the same outer diameter as the clutch member 67, and the open end of this cup clutch member 70 is notched to provide a circumferential series of four substantially rectangular clutch teeth having abrupt faces on both of their sides and being complementary to and fitting snugly but slidably into the above noted notches provided between the clutch teeth of the clutch member 67 (Figs. l and 7). At its left end this clutch member 70 has a tubular stem or sleeve the axial hole or bore through which is of hexagonal shape, to fit snugly but slidably on the adjacent hexagonal portion of the drive shaft 64, by reason of which this clutch member 70 will be rotatably coupled to the drive shaft 64, while at the same time it will be slidable thereon. When this slidable clutch member 70 is slid towards the right, as shown in the drawings, its clutch teeth will be brought into driving and double locking engagement with the clutch teeth of the clutch member 67 on the driving gear 63, and by sliding this clutch member 70 to the left along the drive shaft 64, its clutch teeth will be disengaged from those of the clutch member 67, so that then the driving gear 63 will be uncoupled from the drive shaft 64 for the free rotative movement of this driving gear 63 in either direction.

The slidable clutch member 76 is'maintained in driving and locking relation with the clutch member 67 by means of an automatically acting catch or latch device comprising an annular groove 71 in the hexagonal drive shaft 64, and a yieldable latch ball 72 to seat in this groove and contained in the inner end of a radial bore in a thickened portion or bossV formed on the clutch sleeve. The latch ball 72 is yieldably pressed into the groove 71 by a small coiled thrust spring 73 which is held under suitable compression by an abutment screw 74 in the outer enlarged end of the said bore. When'the clutch member 70 is slid towards the left the ball 72 rides out of the groove 7l, and it is only necessary thus manually to slide the clutch member 76 along the drive shaft 64 in order thereby to disengage it from the clutch member 67. When the clutch member 70 is slid back again to its right hand position with its clutch teeth in engagement with those of the clutch member 67, the spring-pressed ball 72 will snap into the groove 7l thereby preventing the possibility of accidental disengagement of the rele'asable clutch member 76 from its cooperating clutch member 67.

inasmuch as four, which is the number of the interengaging clutch teeth, is a divisional part of eight, which is the number of rotative steps of movement to be imparted to the operating gear 2S, it will be noted that the correct timing between the lower sprocket shaft 27 and the drive shaft 64, will thereby at all times be preserved, when the sliding clutch member 70, after having been disengaged from the clutch member 67, is again reengaged therewith.. Also it will be noted that never more than a maximum of a oneeighth turn will be required of the driving gear 63 in order to bring the notches between the clutch teeth of the clutch member 67 into alignment with the clutch teeth of the released clutch member 70, in order thereby to permit the reengagement of the clutch teeth of this releasable clutch member 70 with those of the clutch member 67 on the driving gear 63. Y

in carrying out the invention, the left hand end of the drive shaft 64 is connected. to a manually operable step-by-step operating mechanism, by which this shaft is normally positively locked against rotation in either direction and by which in operation it has quarter turn positively determined steps of rotative movement imparted thereto. These quarter turn movements of the -drive shaft 64, together with its stopping and locking against displacement at the end of each such movement, is essential to the correct timing and operationof the package-delivering carrier cha-ins A and B, according to which the two lower sprockets 47 and 43 will be held in their correct normal position and given a one-eighth turn for effecting the delivery of a single package 57, as above described. So .far as the above described dispensing mechanism of the present invention is concerned, any suitable step-by-step operating mechanism which is capable of operating the drive shaft 64 in the above noted proper may be employed in carrying out the herein claimed invention. For commercial reasons, this invention has been embodied in a coin controlled vending machine, as indicated in the drawings. Since the coin controlled mechanism of my above noted Patent No. 1,734,739 provides a suitable step-by--step operating mechanism for carrying out the present invention, it has been utilized for that purpose, and accordingly the left hand end of the drive shaft 64 has been connected thereto to be operated and controlled through the termediate of its length, may rock on a pivot stud 99 which projects from the iront of the indicator plate 96, this pivot stud 99 being located at the right of the vertical slot 97 with the arrow 98 pointing towards the right as viewed from the front of the machine (Figs. l and 6). Near its right end the indicator plate 96 is provided. on its front face with the upper and lower legends Empty and 'ull between and adjacent to which two radial indicating marks are also provided outwardly from the ends of the arrow 98. The arrow 98 and the legend-carrying portion of the indicator plate 96 are visible through a transparent plate 100 providing a window in the door 12, this window plate 100, which be of glass, being supported on the door 12 by means of a frame 101 (Fig. 10).

A two-armed wire spring 102 has a middle coil which is held by a headed anchor stud 103 which projects rearwardly from the back oi the indicator plate 96 at a point intermediate between its vertical slot 97 and its above noted securing at the left end thereof. The end oi one oi the arms of this spring 102 bears against the inner side of this flange of the indicator plate 96 while the other arm of this spring has its end turned downwardly and engages over the top of the crank stem 95 just at the back of the indicator plate 96 (Figs. 5 and l0). The rear edge margin oi the lower end portion of the left hand cai rier frame plate 18 is cut away to form a long vertical notch 104 (Fig. 2) which provides for the free inward r cking movement of the eeler arm, the lower straight portion 9i) of which normally extends vertically adjacent to the inner side of the frame wall 7 while the straight feeler portion 92 extends vertically just at the inner side of the carrier frame plate 18 with the upper inclined end-portion 93 projecting to the outer or left hand side o'this carrier plate 18 (Fig. 6).

It will be noted that the spring 102, acting upon the crank stern 95, has a tendency-to swing the feeler 92 inward towards the right away from the left hand carrier frame plate 18. Normally this feeler 92 is engaged by and abuts against the adjacent ends oi the lowermost horizontal package 57 which is carried by the rear run of the left hand carrier chain B and this feeler 92 is shown as of a length for similarly abutting against about the last three packages 57 on this vertical run (Figs. 1,2, 6 and 10). vThis normal upright position of the feeler 92 holds the crank stem 95 at the upper end of the slot 97 in the indicator plate 96 with the barbed end or head of the arrow 98 pointing 'to the indication Full (Figs. 1 and 6). When the last package 57 carried by this rear vertical run of the left hand carrier chain B is moved downward around the lower left hand sprocket e8 from the horizontal position of this package (Fig. 2) to the inclined position thereof in engagement at its outer edge with the downwardly and inwardly inclined guide plate 58, this lowermost package will then pass below the feeler 92 and its lower shoulder 91, so that the feeler 92 will then be free to be moved inward by the spring 102.

For example, Fig. 2 shows a single package 57 at its lowermost horizontal position on the rear run oi the left hand carrier chain B. At the next operation or" the machine as there shown, this package 57 will be moved to the above noted lower inclined position in which it will release the feeler 92, and it may be noted that this latter position of the package 57 shown in Fig. 2 will then be the same as that shown for the inclined lowermost package 57 for the right hand carrier chain A in Fig. 10. 1t will thus be evident, in the construction shown, that with both of the carrier chains A and B fully loaded with packages 57 one ofA these packages, which will be the last package carried by the left hand carrier chain E, will always be left in the machine preparatory tc its replenishing with a fresh stock of the packages. When the spring 102 thus moves the feeler 92 inward when it is no longer restrained'by a package 57, it will concomitantly move the crank stem 95 down to the lower end of the slot 97 in the indicator plate 95 and at the same time will rock the arrow 98 in a counter-clockwise direction (Figs. 1 and 6), to a position in which it will then point to the legend Empty, thereby giving the visual indication that the stock of packages 57 requires replenishing.

This above described visual indicating device is in general similar to that disclosed but not claimed in my above noted Patent No. 1,734,739. Also, together with this indicating feature of the dispensing mechanism of this invention, there is shown in the drawings a slot closing device for closing or obstructing the coin slot 7 5 against the insertion and consequent loss of a coin in the machine when the magazineis empty. This slot closing device relates to the coin controlled mechanism and is shown as substantially similar to that disclosed in my last above mentioned patent.

This slot closing device includes a horizontal rock shaft 105 pivoted in a bearing 106 on the rear of the main frame plate 15 of the coin controlled mechanism. At the left end of this bearing this Yrock shaft 105 has a orwardly extending crank arm 107 which terminates adjacent to the inner side of the left hand carrier frame plate i8 in a horizontal crank pin 108. This crank pin 108 is pivotally connected by means of a laterally bent link 109 with the crank stem 95 of the indicating device to be operated thereby, which thus performs a double unction, one of which relates to the dispensing mechanism and the other of which relates to the coin controlled mechanism. This slot closing device may be disregarded so far as the present'invention is concerned.

As examples of slot closing devices alone, reierence may be had to my above noted Patent #1,722,230 and also to my Patent No. 1,728,901, dated September 17, 1929, for Vending machine, while for an example oi a slot closing -device and an indicating device employed in the same vending machine independently of each other, referencemay be had to my Patent No. 1,751,245, dated March 13, 1930, for Coin controlled mechanism, taken in connection with its divisional Patent No.

1,738,721, dated December 10, 1929, for Web dis- 1t is obvious that the aboveY The carrier chains il and B may of course bev renlled at any time desired with a renewed stock oi packages 57 to be dispense However, in case this has not been done, the movable arrow 98 of thevsual indicator .ill finally direct attention to this neet W hen the stock of packages 57 is to be renewed, the front door l2 is opened or removed, carrying with it the top cover 13,. The slidable clutch member may now be conveniently shifted to the left along the driving shaft 6a for disengaging its clutch teeth from those of the cooperating clutch member 57, thereby setting free the drive gear 53 for independent rotative movement in either direction. Both of the carrier chains-` A and B couldnow be completely refilled fromthe front of the machine byturning these-chains over in the direction of their normal travel as the filling from the front proceeds. -l-lowever, the invention provides a quicker and moreconvenient way for fully re- ,loading these carrier chains.

The' two pivot-ed gravity latches 34 are lifted out of engagement with the studs 35 on the carl*rier frame and the latter is let Vdown to its foreither direction at any time. it has been found convenient to begin the nlling of thesevchains towards the bottoms or lower ends of theirruns and movethe rear runs of these chains rdownward as the filling proceeds.l When-the filling of the rear runs of the carrier chains has been completed, the chain-carrying,carrier frame is rocked back to its normalA upright position, in which it will be held by the automatic engagement of the gravity latches 3e with the studs 35. The vertical front runs of these carrier chains A and B may now be conveniently completely filled with vthe packages 57, care being again eX- ercised, of course, that no intermediate blank spaces are left between the successive shelves 51.

While desirable, it is unessential to the opera'- tion that the front runs of these carrier chain should be filled completely down to their lower ends at the bottom. For completely filling these two carrier chains A and B to their maximum capacity, the lowermost packages 57 4carried by their rear runs should be as is shown at the right hand side in Fig. 10, while the lowermost packages in their front runs should rest respectively upon the two lowermostV horizontal shelves 51 which, for clarity of illustration, are shown as empty at the left side in Fig. 10.

, After the rear and front runs of the carrier chains A andgB have been thus reiilled, and also more desirably and conveniently after the carrier frame has been returned to its normal upright position, the released sliding clutch member 70 may be moved'back to its normal operating position in which it will be held by the seating of its latch ball 72 in the groove 71, with the clutch teeth of the two clutch members 67 and 'lo in full engagement, for the step-by-step operation of the carrier chains A and B from the drive shaft 64 and their locking against movement relatively thereto and therewith. The front door 1 2 may now be replaced in its closed condition and the lmachine is ready for normal operation for the delivery of singlev packages 57 alternately from the respective carrier chains A and B at each such operation.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described, within the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. In an article dispenser, the combination of an endless traveling delivery chain supported and guided to have front `and rear vertical As a further convenience, the ycarrier chains A andBmay be freely moved in parallel runs, a sprocket Wheel for the' delivery cha-in at the lower endofV its runs, a transverse sprocket shafton which the sprocket wheel y, is fixed, a casing having. airont door to be openedtransversely-,1infvvhich,the said sprocket.

shaft is journaled, and a normally vertical carrier frame carrying-the delivery chain and pivoted at its: lower end onfthe said sprocket shaft to swing forward,:and downward'to the outside. of the casing through the open front the casing to a position in which the rear ron of the delivery chainwill be freelyaccessible veling delivery chain supported have front and rear vertical parrectly loaded from .above with articles allel i dns, a sprocket wheel for thedelivery chainl at the Y shaft which the sprocket kwheel is fixed', a

transverse drive shaft spacedl parallel relation.'

to the sprocket shaft, .step-by-step operatingy meel r1nism connected to the said drive shaft for rotating the latter step-by-step,. gearing connecting the drive shaft to the sprocket'shaft for `imparting step-by-step rotative movement to slidable along the drive shaft provided on itsiloends of its runs, a transverse sprocket f end adjacent. to: said gear with 'clutch teeth complementary to those on the said, gear forv positively acting engagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom by sliding the said slidable second clutch member away from thegear so that then thesaid delivery chain may be freely moved in loading it with articles to be dispensed, said interengaging clutch teethr on the clutch members being disposed in such manner that when the slidable clutch member is reengagedwith the clutch member on the said gear the correctly timed driving relation of the drive shaft with the sprocket shaft will be preserved.

3. In an article dispenser, the combination of a Ipair of similar endless traveling delivery v chains supported and guided for each chain to have front and rear vertical parallel runs substantially in lateral alignment with the samel runs yof the )other chain, equally spaced outwardly projecting carrier lugs on each ofthe chains, a positive rconnection between the two chains to compel their concomitant traveling movement so that thereby the two chains will deliver articles' in timed relation relatively to each-other in the dispensing operation, a casing y having afront Vdoor to lbe opened, and a normally vertical ycarrier frame carrying the said delivery chains and pivoted at its lower end in the casing to swing forward and downward to thev outside of the casing through the open front of the casing to va position in which the rear runs-of the delivery chains will be freely acces- .ible to be'directly loaded from above with articles to be dispensed, the saidfpivoted carrier framev includingvertical side walls, a vertical transverse partition wall at right angles to the side walls between the front and rear vertical runs of both of the said delivery chains, and a vertical intermediate partition wall parallel with the lsaidside walls between the two delivery chains, these vertical walls forming four rectangularly arranged article-guiding channels lwhich are open at the front and rear of the pivoted carrier frame, a rear Vertical guide for articles on the rear runs of the delivery chains being provided by the rear wall of the casing and a front guide f-or articles on the front runs of the delivery chains being provided by the front door.

4. In an article dispenser, the combination of a pair of similar endless traveling delivery chains supported and guided for each chain to have front and rear vertical parallel runs substantially in lateral alignment with the same runs of the other chain, equally spaced outwardly projecting carrier lugs on each of the chains, a positive connection between the two chains to vcompel their concomitant traveling movement so that thereby the two chains will deliver articles in timed relation relatively to each other in the dispensing operation, a casing having a front door to be opened, and a normally vertical carrier frame carrying the said delivery chains and pivoted at its lower end in the casing to swing forward and downward to the outside of l the casing through the open front of the casing to a position in which the rear runs of the delivery chains will be freely accessible to be directly loaded from above with articles to be dispensed, the said pivoted carrier frame including vertical side walls, and a vertical intermediate partition wall parallel with the said side walls between the two delivery chains, these vertical 4walls forming article-guides which are open at the front and rear of the pvoted carrier frame,

a rear vertical guide for articles on the rear runs of the delivery chains being provided by the rear wall of the casing and a front guide for articles on the front runs of the delivery chains being provided by the front door.

5. In an article dispenser, the combination of an endless traveling delivery chain supported and guided to have front and rear vertical parallel runs, a sprocket wheel for the delivery chain at the lower end yof its runs, a transverse sprocket shaft on which the sprocket wheel is fixed, an enclosing casing including vertical side walls and having a front door to be opened and transversely in which the said sprocket shaft is jourl naled, a normally vertical carrier frame carrying the said delivery chain and having vertical side walls pivoted at their lower ends on the said sprocket shaft to swing forward and downward to the outside yof the casing through the open front of the casing to a position in which the rear run of the delivery chain will be readily accessible to be directly loaded from above with articles to be dispensed, means for supporting the carrier frame at its forwardly swung loading position connecting a side wall of this carrier frame to the adjacent side wall of the casing and positioned so as to leave the rear run of the carrier chain unobstructed for loading, and an automatically-engaging positively-holding releasable latch for normally positively holding the carrier frame in its vertical dispensing position in the casing.

LOUIS I-I. MORIN. 

